Roller bearing multiple section drawer track



ROLLER BEARING MULTIPLE SECTION DRAWER TRACK Filed May 19, 1966 2Sheets-Sheet 1 "nun 5 E3 5 INVENTORS g k HERBERT s. FALL 10 JAMES M.HARRELL WILLIAM D. YORK WAYNE H. YOUNG LAWRENCE M. VAUGHN Mm m ATTORNEY1969 H. s. FALL ETAL 3,485,539

ROLLER BEARING MULTIPLE SECTION DRAWER TRACK Filed May 19, 1966 2Sheets-Sheet 2 co M" M 3 P Pi D g 8 B I3 .9 s a m 1 2, ag

H w H INVENTORS HERBERT 5. FALL JAMES M. HARRELL 0O WILLIAM D. YORK mWAYNE H. YOUNG in LAWRENCE M. VAUGHN WQMIZH ATTORNEY us. Cl. ss-3.s

United States Patent 0 M 3,485,539 ROLLER BEARING MULTIPLE SECTIONDRAWER TRACK Herbert S. Fall, Indianapolis, James M. Harrell, BeechGrove, William 1). York and Wayne H. Young, Indianapolis, and LawrenceM. Vaughn, Acton, Ind, assignors, by mesne assignments, to Herbert S.Fall, Indianapolis, Ind.

Filed May 19, 1966, Ser. No. 551,451 Int. Cl. F16c 35/02, 29/00, 21/00 9Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An extensible and retractible trackcomprising a first unit, a second unit, means for shiftably retainingthe second unit along the first unit, and means forming a pair ofvertically spaced raceways having horizontal surfaces extending betweenvertical walls of the units, and a group of horizontally freecylindrical rollers in approximate tangency one with the other andcarried in each of the raceways, the length of each of the groups beingless than the length of the raceway in which the group is carried.Preferably, the rollers are annuli, each roller having a radialthickness sufficient to support a predetermined load. In one embodiment,at least one of the rollers in each group has less radial thickness thanthat of the other rollers in the group so that the said one roller willbe springlike in nature to act as a shock absorber when the rollergroups strike the roller stops. In other embodiments, plugs are fittedin the center opening of certain of the rollers in a group to increasethe load carrying capability of the track. Further, the rollers may bemagnetized so that they will remain in contact one with the otherwithout the requirement for cages. In still another embodiment, a thirdtrack unit is extensibly mounted on the second track unit and means areprovided to form a second pair of vertically spaced raceways havinghorizontal surfaces extending between vertical walls of the second andthird units. In this last-mentioned embodiment, the second unit may beformed or provided with ofiset ledges defining the first and secondpairs of raceways, the ledges extending laterally outwardlyapproximately respectively to the first and third unit walls.

This invention relates to an extensible drawer track or slide having, inmost instances at least three units, the first of which is a fixed unit;a second one is an intermediate unit extensible within limits from thefixed unit; and a third unit extensible within limits from the secondunit, the third unit being the one to which a drawer or electronicchassis is attached.

There are sets of rollers between each of the three units. The inventionis concerned with the particular shapes of the rollers such as would behad by cutting short lengths of tubing to provide an annulus, andfurther with the manner of carrying the rollers in raceways. The rollersare in a group in any one raceway. The group 0ccupies a space along theraceway such that the total diameters of all the rollers in the group isless than the length of the raceway to provide for a movement of thegroup in the raceway equal approximately to a limit of extension of aunit one from another. The rollers, while moving in a group in araceway, are free one from another without any cage or spacing means.

Some rollers, even though slightly varying one from another in externaldiameter over other rollers, such for example, as by a thousandth or soof an inch, may deform under load to distribute that load to all of therollers in a group within a raceway.

3,485,539 Patented Dec. 23, 1969 The invention readily provides adoptionof rollers to carry various predetermined loads by selection of rollersin respect to the radial thickness of the rollers, that is, from a solidto a thin, spring-like radial thickness of the annulus.

The invention also provides a laterally, extremely thin over-allassembly of the three slide units to permit using a drawer in a cabinetof a maximum possible width.

Another advantage of the invention is found in the reduction of cost ofmanufacturing in those parts of the assembly which may be made ofmetallic extrusions and plastic moldings or extrusions, whereby machinework is reduced to a minimum. Also, as above indicated, the rollers maybe cut or sliced diametrically across lengths of tubing, requiring nogrinding or machining.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent to those versed in theart in the following description of the invention in reference to theaccompanying drawings, in Which FIG. 1 is a view in side elevation of astructure em bodying the invention and in slightly extended condition,one unit from another, and with fragments of walls broken away todisclose inner structure;

FIG. 2. is a view in top plan of the structure shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view in vertical section on the line 3-3 in FIG. 1, and inexaggerated width to avoid confusion of lines in the drawing;

FIG. 4 is a left hand view in end elevation, likewise exaggerated inwidth;

FIG. 5 is a right hand view in vertical elevation, also exaggerated inwidth;

FIG. 6 is a view in horizontal section on the line 6-6 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a view in partial section and in side elevation of afragmentary portion of the right end of the structure as shown in FIG.1, with modified end rollers;

FIG. 8 is a view of a detail in side elevation and section showing afurther modification as to roller shapes;

FIG. 9 is a view in side elevation of a roller carrying a filler plug;

FIG. 10 is a view in section on the line 10-10 in FIG. 9; and

FIG. 11 is a view in vertical section illustrating a modified structurefor an ultra-thin track.

Referring first to the structure of the invention as illustrated inFIGS. l-6, a fixed unit 12 is formed in the nature of a plate to haveupper and lower overturned flanges 13 and 14 forming roller runwayswithin the flanges substantially perpendicular to both the plate 12 andflange legs 19 and 20, each runway being in the nature of a groove, oneopening toward the other.

An intermediate unit .15 has a central body 16 which may be made of aplastic material. Along the top and bottom edges of the body 16 arelongitudinal grooves 17 and 18 respectively and into which grooves theflange legs 19 and 20 extend in a freely sliding manner, FIGS. 3, 4 and5.

Bars of metal 21 and 22 are fixed respectively to opposite sides of thebody 16, such as by screws '23, preferably fitting into recesses 24 and25 in and along the body 16. A roller stop bar 26 extends verticallyacross the body 16 on its side directed toward the plate 12,approximately from bottom to top edges of the body 16 and across theleft hand end (as viewed in the drawings) to extend from the body adistance approaching the thickness of rollers to be employed as willlater be described. Also, there are roller stops and 46 extendingvertically across the right hand end of the plate 12 above and below thebar 21 to be in the paths of said rollers.

A plate 27 is formed to be the third unit of the structure, and in thepresent showing, has the same size, shape, and approximate length as ofthe plate 12. The plate 27 has overturned top and bottom flanges 28 and29 at substantially right angles to the plate and has opposing legs 30and 31 entering respectively into the body grooves 17 and 18. At theleft hand end of the plate 27, there are two roller stops 32 and 33 eachfixed to the plate 27, extending respectively from inside the flanges 28and 29 toward top and bottom edges of the bar 22, FIG. 1.

The member 16 carries a stop member 34, such as a screw, extending intothe path of the plate 27 at the left hand end of the bar 22. The plate27 has a cut-out 35 which will straddle and abut the stop 34 when theplate 27 is sufficiently moved to the left. The intermediate member 15has a vertical, roller stop bar 36 fixed across its right hand end toextend laterally beyond the bar 22 toward the plate 27 but not intocontact therewith, to serve as a stop limiting travel of rollers betweenthe member 15 and the plate 27 as will be later described.

The intermediate member 15 carries a stop member 37 protruding therefromat the right hand end of the bar 21 to strike and stop against the rightend of the plate .12, serving as a limit of travel of the member 15 tothe left.

A plurality of groups of rollers, each generally designated by thenumeral 38 is introduced into each of four raceways formed between eachside of the intermediate unit 15, two above, and two below the bars 21and 22 and between the plates 12 and 27. These raceways are designatedby the numerals 39, 40 and 41, 42. The rollers 38 in any one group donot fill the longitudinal length of its raceway in any instance, thenumber of rollers 38, for example in raceway 44 total to six. Thisnumber may vary depending upon the length of a raceway between the endstops 33 and 36 as shown in FIG. 1, in turn varying with the fulllongitudinal travel desired in each of the units 15 and 27 in relationto the length of the fixed unit 12. The limiting factor as to the numberof rollers in each raceway is the use of only that number of rollerswhich may be free to roll as a group between those stops at the ends ofthe raceways.

As one example, assuming that the third unit 27 which carries the loadis moving to the right in relation to the intermediate or second unit15, the rollers 38 will roll in the direction of the travel of the plate27 at approximately half the speed of the travel of the plate 27. Theplate 27 may continue in its outward travel until the stops 32 and 33come into abutment with the rearmost rollers 38b in the respectiveraceways 40 and 42. At the same time, or shortly thereafter, each of theforward rollers 38a will come against the bar 36, depending upon thelengths of the raceways and the number of rollers in the raceways. Thelengths of the raceways are preferably made to be such that the travelof each group of a common number of rollers therein will, at respectiveends of plate 27 travel either be against the plate stops 32, 33 or thebody 16 stop 36 so as to avoid non-rolling, sliding of the rollers inapproaching the respective stops.

At the outward end of plate 27 travel, the rollers abutting the body 16bar 36 will then push the body 16 outwardly. In so doing, the body .16will be moved between the rollers in raceways 39 and 41. These rollerswill be stopped in their outward travel by coming against the upper andlower stops 45 and 46, particularly so, when the body 16 carried stopbar 26, FIG. 6 comes up against the rear rollers 38b.

In reverse, inward travel of the plate 27, the rollers 38 in the top andbottom raceways 48 and 42 will move away from the stop bar 36 until theplate 27 strikes the stop 34 on the body 16. Then the unit 15 is pushedinwardly with the rollers 38 moving away from the stops 45 and 46,continuing to do so until the body 16 carried stop abuts the end of theplate 27.

In each raceway, considering raceways 40 and 42 for example, the rollers38 in the upper raceway 40 will have a load impressed upon their uppersides by the flange 28, the load being that which is carried by theplate 27. In turn, these upper rollers will ride on the bar 22. Sidemotion of these rollers is limited by reason of the confining plate 27on the one side and the body 16 on the other side. The spacing apart ofthese members 27 and 16 is controlled by reason of the plate flange legs30 and 31 fitting into the body grooves 17 and 18. This spacing is heldagainst decreasing by the thickness of the rollers therein.

The under edge of the bar 22 transmits the load impressed upon the upperedge of the bar to the rollers 38 thereunder, and in turn, to the flange29 of the plate 27. The rollers in the top and bottom raceways 40 and42, each being an elastic annulus, readily deformable under thesuperimposed load to cause each roller in each group to carry its shareof the over-all load. In some instances, particularly where verticaldimensions of the three units are required to be limited, so that therollers in turn are limited in diameters, and where a particularly highload must be carried, the smaller diameter rollers may still be employedby press fitting a plug 50 within the hole 51 of the roller 38, thus ineffect, for that particular situation, the rollers become solid members.

In the great majority of instances the annular rollers are used. Afurther advantage in using such rollers, is that there may interspersedin each roller group a spring roller of relatively thin wall such as issuggested in FIGS, 7 and 8; in FIG. 7, a spring roller 52 is placed atthe end of a group of rollers 38 to absorb the shock arising by a quickpull of the plate 27 when a roller 38 would otherwise strike the stop 36with considerable force. The spring roller 52 has a much thinner ringsection than do the rollers 38. The distortion of the roller 52 may belessened as indicated in FIG. 8 where a smaller diameter spring roller53 is inserted within the roller 52 to serve as a shock absorber underheavier load conditions. Spring rollers 52 may also be inserted withinthe group of rollers 38, as indicated in FIG. 8 for additionalresilience in linear directions of roller travel.

The invention also lends itself to ultra-thin construction as indicatedin FIG. 11. Here there is a. back or fixed plate 55 having top andbottom overturned flanges 56 and 57 terminating in down and upturnedlegs 58 and 59 respectively. A body 60, which is illustrated as plastic,but which may be extruded aluminum, is formed to have a central portion61 extending with a clearance along the central part of the plate 55 andto be offset from the plate 55 and thence upwardly and downwardly toform roller raceways 62 and 63 respectively receiving rollers 38 thereinwith the flange 56 riding on the rollers 38 which in turn ride on ashoulder 64, and by an under shoulder 65 riding on rollers 38 in turnriding on the lower plate flange 57.

The central portion 61 has approximately the thickness of a roller 38.The offset top and bottom body portions 66 and 67 have shoulders 68 and69, centrally between which extends a floating bar 70, either of plasticor metallic material, to define upper and lower raceways 71 and 72between it and the shoulders 68 and 69.

Rollers 38 are placed in the upper raceway 71 to have the shoulder 68bear on the rollers and the rollers 38 in turn bear upon the bar 70.Rollers 38 are placed in the raceway 72 to have the bar 70 bear on themand in turn to bear on the shoulder 69.

The rollers 38 in both the top and bottom raceways 71 and 72 areretained therein by a spring steel plate 74 which carries the bar 70 andtheir top and bottom edges fitted to slide up and down within opposinggrooves 75 and 76 opposing one another in the body portions 66 and 67. Aplate 77 bears against the plate 74 and is fixed thereto in any suitablemanner, such as by a screw 78, and is shaftable up and down with theplate 74. The plate 74 maintains substantially constant widths of theraceways 71 and 72 to permit free rolling of the rollers therein.

The legs 58 and 59 are slidingly carried Within top and bottom groovesor channels 79 and 80 as means for maintaining the raceways 62 and 63 ofsubstantially constant widths, sufiiciently wide to permit free rollingof the rollers therein.

In this thin structure the plate 55 is fixed to the wall of a cabinet orthe like, and the loaded member (not shown) is attached to the plate 77which constitutes the third unit body, and which travels longitudinallyof the plastic intermediate or second unit, in turn carried by the firstor fixed plate 55.

The rollers 38 in the upper raceways 39, 40 of the form shown in FIGS.1-8, do not normally carry a direct downwardly directed load thrust, butdo bear upwardly against the flanges 13 and 28 to prevent tendency ofthe plate 27 to tilt downwardly under load when in its extendedposition. The same is true of the rollers 38 in the raceways 62 and 71of the FIG. 11 form. However, these devices are made to beinterchangeably used in either left or right hand positions, in whichcase the plate 12 or the plate 55 carrying the second and third units issimply turned over one assembled device in respect to the other withoutchange in internal construction or assembly. That is, the top flange 13would be the bottom flange and likewise the flange 56 would be thebottom flange.

The rollers 38 may be magnetized as a means for resisting the freetravel of individual rollers from their groups. Obviously, if eachroller 38 is magnetized to have an N pole and an S pole on its axis, andthe N and S poles, respectively, of adjacent rollers in a group areoppositely disposed, adjacent rollers will always be magneticallyattracted to each other to maintain the integrity of the group, Themethods by which the rollers 38 can be so magnetized are well known andneed not be discussed, in detail, herein.

Another feature of the invention resides in the fact that the flanges13, 14 and 28, 29 are at right angles to the respective plates 12 and 27which means that the rollers 38 being short cylinders ride on theflanges in side, sliding contact with those plates and thereby permit athinner over-all construction than when there is an arc of curvature ina radius between those flanges and their plates. Not only is that true,but more importantly, there is less flange bending leverage by spacingthe rolling members against the plates than if they were spacedoutwardly therefrom. Furthermore this assures of full line contact ofthe rollers against the flange laterally across the periphery of therollers.

While we have herein shown and described our invention in more or lessminute detail, it is obvious that materials may be selected to diiferfrom those recited, and also, that structural changes may be madewithout departing from the spirit of the invention and the limitationswhich may be imposed by the following claims.

We claim:

1. An extensible and retractible track comprising a first unit;

a second unit;

means shiftably retaining the second unit along the first unit;

means forming a pair of vertically spaced, rectilinear raceways havinghorizontal surfaces extending between vertical walls of said units;

a horizontally free group of cylindrical rollers in tangency one withthe other and carried in each of said raceways for movement as a grouplongitudinally back and forth therein, each roller of each groupincluding means by the roller alone resisting separation of the rollerfrom its group; and

the length of each of said groups being less than the length of each ofsaid raceways.

2. The structure of claim 1 in which said rollers are annuli, eachhaving a radial thickness to support a predetermined load; and furthercomprising roller stops carried at one end of said second unit to extendrespectively into said raceways;

roller stops carried at the opposite end of said first unit to extendrespectively into said raceways; and

at least one of said rollers in each group having a lesser radialthickness than that of the others whereby said one roller is renderedspring-like in nature to act as a shock absorber when the roller groupsstrike said roller stops.

3. The structure of claim 1, in which said rollers are cylindrical withaxially extending holes therethrough defining resilient annuli, theradial thickness of the annuli being selected to carry predeterminedloads; and

a plug tightly fitted in the hole of some, but not all of said rollersin each of said groups to increase the load carrying capacity of eachgroup.

4. The structure of claim 1, in which said second unit retaining meanscomprises upper and lower vertically disposed flange members, eachflange member forming a side of a channel extending longitudinally alongeach of the upper and lower edges of said second unit;

said first unit comprises vertically extending upper and lower flangesextending downwardly and upwardly respectively into said channels; and

a third unit forming, in combination with said second unit, a secondpair of vertically spaced raceways havlng horizontal surfaces extendingbetween vertical walls of said units on the side of the second unitopposite to that of the first pair of raceways;

a second group of horizontally free cylindrical rollers in approximatetangency one with the other and carried in each of said second pair ofraceways, the lengths of each of said second groups of rollers beingless than each of the lengths of said second pairs of raceways; and

said third unit also comprising vertically extending flanges engagingsaid second unit to prevent lateral separation of said second and thirdunits,

5. The structure of claim 4, in which said second unit carries offsetledges defining said first and second pairs of raceways, said ledgesextending approximately respectively to said first unit wall and saidthird unit wall.

6. The structure of claim 4, in which said second unit has a verticallyextending control portion thickness approximately equal to that of oneof said rollers, and a horizontally ofiset portion vertically extendingaround each of said groups of rollers in the first pair;

said raceways being located respectively on the top and bottom portionsof said central portion between the respective oflset portions and saidfirst unit;

said first group of rollers riding on said central body raceways;

a shoulder under the upper offset portion extending laterally from saidcentral portion forming said second pair of raceways;

a shoulder over the lower oflset portion extending laterally from saidcentral portion;

said second pair of rollers riding on said second raceways;

said second raceways being spaced vertically a distance exceeding twodiameters of said rollers;

a spacer element inserted between the second pair of rollers to maintainthe two groups of rollers in approximate contact with the respectivesecond raceways;

a. plate-like member carrying said spacer element shiftable verticallyof the second unit; and

means carried by said second unit shiftably carrying 7 said element andretaining said rollers of said second pair against lateral shifting;

7. The structure of claim 1, in which said rollers are magnetized andremain in contact one with the other, free of spacing cages.

8. The structure of claim 1 wherein said rollers in each group aremagnetized to resist separation of individual rollers of a group.

9. The structure of claim 1 wherein said units each comprise rollerstops extending into each raceway, and wherein at least one roller ineach group is a resilient annulus arranged to act as a shock absorberwhen said group strikes said roller stops, there being at least onesubstantially solid roller in each group.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,357,753 12/1967 Ionov 3,258,2996/ 1966 Meyer 308-38 1,761,123 6/1930 Gruver 308-6 2,520,453 8/1950Burrnist 308-6 3,186,785 6/1965 Berger 312-339 3,248,900 5/1966 Shurts.3,341,262 9/1967 Kalmanek.

8 11/1967 [Del Vecchio 308-38 5/1924 Sheldon 308-206 3/1935 Gotz 308-2067/1943 Hyland 308-38 7/1951 Wolters 308-38 5/1952 Clark 308-1 X 10/1954Penkala 308-38 10/1955 Trbojevich 308-202 1/1962 Trbojevich 308-202 X7/1963 Kendt 308-38 5/1967 Edelson 3083.6 8/1967 Green 308-38 X FOREIGNPATENTS 8/ 1963 France. 6/ 1958 Australia. 8/ 1926 France. 10/ 1951Great Britain.

MARTIN P. SCHWADRON, Primary Examiner L. L. JOHNSON, Assistant ExaminerUS. Cl. X.R.

